A Little Finesse
by wolfman5
Summary: It's been three years since the events of Labyrinth. Sarah is still haunted by the memory of Jareth and Jareth can't get Sarah out of his mind. Can he gain her trust and work his way back into her life? M for later.
1. Chapter 1

Labyrinth

Chapter 1: Dreaming

Sarah was running down a dark hallway. She felt like she had been running for hours and nothing had changed. She wasn't sure how she had gotten here or what she was running towards, but she knew it was imperative that she get there. From far off she could hear the giggle of a small child. She ran frantically towards the sound. She must be getting closer. The giggling was louder than when she had started.

Sarah's eyes flew open and she let out a shaky breath. That dream always frustrated her and left her feeling exhausted when she woke up. She had been having the dream for three years and never seemed to get anywhere. She heard the giggling again and she sat up and looked towards her bedroom door. Throwing on her robe she moved out into the hallway. She heard Toby's voice. It sounded like he was talking to someone. She made her way slowly to his room and carefully pushed open the door. "Toby?" He was sitting up in the bed looking towards the window. He looked at her and smiled. "What are you doing up? It's late." He laid back down and she threw his covers back over him and sat on the edge of the bed. "Who were you talking to?"

"The man," Toby answered sleepily. Sarah felt a small tug of panic, but she tamped it down. She yawned.

"What man?" She looked nervously toward the window. When she got no answer her gaze wandered back down to Toby who had slipped back into a peaceful sleep. Sarah let her head fall into her hands and sat motionless for a long time. This wasn't the first time Sarah had been woken up to Toby's delighted giggles or his soft musical voice in the middle of the night. She always told herself that he was an animated dreamer like her, but a more sinister part of her mind reminded her that Toby was always awake and always staring out the window when she came in. She pulled herself to her feet and went to the window. Everything seemed right. The window was closed and latched and there was nobody around. _That didn't mean a thing_, her mind told her. She shivered then, with one glance back at Toby, headed back to her room.

She threw herself back down on her bad and scolded herself for freaking out like that. It had been three years since… and Sarah still couldn't get her mind to stop thinking about him. The Labyrinth had all been a dream and so had he. Jareth. The Goblin King. A lot of the time she was able to convince herself that she had made him up. But sometimes her imagination would run too far away with her and she would doubt herself. If the Labyrinth had been a dream it had been so vivid. And if it had been her dream then why was Toby affected by it. She knew he was having dreams too. He would try to tell his mother all about them in the morning. 'Stop!' Sarah ordered her mind as she snuggled back under her covers. She closed her eyes and desperately tried to force sleep to come, hoping that it would be dreamless. As she began to drift off, she was sure she heard soft laughter at her window. She forced the sound out and slipped into a restless sleep.

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Silently the window slid open letting in a bit of the cool night air. A figure slid in and then stilled as Sarah shifted in her sleep. Slowly he made his way to the bed side and stared down at her. She was even more beautiful than he remembered. Even as she slept he could see the familiar fire that burned within her. He smirked. In three years he had thought of only Sarah and it was beginning to affect his performance as king. It was time that he finish what he started with her in the Labyrinth and be on with his life. This time it would take just a bit more finesse. He was sure he could win her over. Jareth brushed a strand of hair out of her face and smiled. "Soon, my darling Sarah." The window shut quietly behind him as he left. The moon shone down on the white owl as he made his way back to his kingdom.

A/N: Here's the first of my Labyrinth fic. It's short, but I just wanted to get into it. Enjoy. I'll try to update soon.


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: I don't own Labyrinth or any of the characters.

A Little Finesse

Chapter 2:

Sarah woke feeling like she hadn't slept at all. Nine 'o clock. Sighing, Sarah got up and got ready for work. She had been dreaming about something, but try as she might, she couldn't remember. She shook her head to clear it and headed downstairs.

"Hi Sarah. Mom made waffles." Sarah smiled at Toby, who's mouth was covered in syrup.

"I can see that." She sat down and piled some waffles onto her plate.

"Did you see the man last night?" Sarah had just taken a drink of milk which she almost choked on.

"What man, Toby?" Toby looked at her as though she had sprouted another head.

"The man that was in my room last night." Sarah's eyes darted to the living room where Toby's mom Irene was straightening up.

"Toby, there was no man in your room last night. You were having a bad dream." Toby shook his head.

"I wasn't asleep." Sarah stood up.

"I have to get to work. Have a good day." She hugged Toby then headed for the door.

"Sarah, there are waffles," Irene called after her.

"I got some, thank you. I'll be home around 6:30." She shut the door and got in her car. She took a deep breath. Whenever Toby started talking the man in his room it made Sarah anxious, as if the very mention of him would make him suddenly appear. Sarah wished that she could convince Toby that it was just a dream, but first she'd have to convince herself. She started down the driveway, but screeched to a halt when something ran behind the car. Looking back in the mirror it almost looked like a goblin. Sarah groaned. She slammed the car into reverse and backed the rest of the way down the drive. She drove, a bit too fast to work.

She pulled into the parking lot of the bookstore and took a deep breath. She had to stop letting the Labyrinth and its king get to her. Chances were, it hadn't even happened. She laughed at herself for being so stupid and paranoid, before getting out of the car resolved to not think about it anymore. Raising her head high she started towards the store. "Excuse me miss?" Startled she turned around and ran straight into a man causing him to drop the books he was carrying.

"I'm sorry." She stooped down to help him pick up the books.

"No, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have startled you like that. I'm just so helplessly lost on this campus." She looked up at him and he was smiling at her. He was very handsome. His features were, for lack of a better word, regal. His hair was an astonishing almost white blond. And his eyes… Sarah found herself staring into his eyes. She shuddered a bit. The man in front of her almost had, _his_ eyes. She mentally kicked herself. She had to stop thinking about him. She reached for the last book and paused. She traced her finger over the lettering on the red cover. His hand flashed out and scooped it up.

"That's one of my favorites," he said softly. Sarah stood quickly and watched him tuck _The Labyrinth_ into his bag. She shook her head to clear it.

She tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. "Is there anything I can help you with?"

"I'm, um, looking for the theater building."

"I can show you where it is." She turned and started towards the theater building. He followed, keeping up with her long strides. "Are you new in town?" He nodded.

"I've been here before," he gave her a smile that hinted at something, like an inside joke, "but that was some time ago. I just came from Oxford. I was offered a position here for more than they were paying me there and here I am."

"Here you are."

"Are you a student here?"

"I'm a graduate student."

"Hmm…do you like the theater?"

"I used to, I'm too old for it now."

He chuckled. "I didn't know it was something you could get too old for." She stopped in front of the theater building.

"Here it is."

"Thank you, you're very kind…"

"Sarah."

"Sarah," he smiled, and held out his hand. "I'm Jareth." She stared at him. "It's good to meet you Sarah. Hopefully I'll see you around." She nodded, dumbfounded. He smiled one more time then headed into the building. Sarah stood there staring at the door. Jareth. It couldn't be. That wasn't real. There had to be lots of Jareths in the world. She noticed she was shaking and scolded herself. She had to pull it together. She turned and headed back toward the bookstore.

"Sarah," her friend William greeted her as she walked through the door. "I was starting to think you weren't coming."

"I ran into a new teacher and helped him find the theater building." She took off her jacket and hung it by the door.

"New theater teacher?" Sarah nodded and took her place behind the counter. William shrugged. "I didn't even know we had a theater department." Sarah smiled. She grabbed the inventory list and busied herself checking over their stock. "Um, Sarah," she looked up at William. He shifted uncomfortably from foot to foot. "I was wondering if you…might want to go get something to eat sometime. I mean, you have to eat, I have to eat…so we could go eat together."

"Oh, um my schedule is pretty full." William held up his hands.

"I get it. You don't date. I just thought I'd try."

"It was a good try." William smiled.

"Maybe if I keep trying I'll get lucky someday." Sarah laughed softly.

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"Ah Sarah. Your tastes are much too sophisticated for the likes of him." Jareth turned the crystal to watch William walk away down the aisles of books. "That poor boy." He threw his head back and laughed. He had gotten in. He had met Sarah sooner than he had planned, but he had been charming. It was only a matter of time before he gained her trust. He looked around his office in the crumbling theater building and wrinkled his nose. He hoped it was fast. This place was far from his castle beyond the labyrinth. He looked over at his clock; an unusual thing that not only told the time, but also the days of the week. He cursed softly. It was telling him that he had a little over a week to complete his plan. He looked back at Sarah through his crystal. He was going to have to turn up the charm if he was going to make this work.

A/N: Enjoy! I'll try to update soon.


	3. Chapter 3

Wow! It's been a long time since my last update. I'll try my best to update more often. I have three different stories going right now. Enjoy

A Little Finesse

Chapter 3

Far away from the goblin city another ruler stared into her pond watching a man as he pondered his next move. Her castle was tall and dark, its twisted spires extending up into the ever grey clouds. The kingdom was built on a mountain and there was never a time that the landscape was not covered in ice. It was not the ideal kingdom, but it was a foothold. The battle for it had been hard fought and Lithia had won the kingdom fairly. The fae prince had fallen because he had been too prideful to take her offer. It would not be the same with Jareth. Their deal made sure of that. She smiled down at the man. "Such a plain thing Jareth. I'm surprised at you. I thought for sure your vanity would be enough to stop you. No matter. You only have a week. Not even you can move that fast." She waved a hand over the pond and the picture changed. She stared down at plain Sarah Williams and shook her head. The picture changed once more to show her own face. She smiled up at herself. Her ice blue hair cascaded over her shoulders like a frozen water fall. She stared back at herself with vivid violet eyes. How Jareth could turn her down for a plain human girl was beyond her.

"Mother, how is he doing?" Her daughter sat by her side and gazed into the pond. Litha smiled at the girl.

"He still tries, but his time is running short."

"What if he succeeds?" Lithia laughed softly. She stood and took the girl's hand. She smiled up at her mother.

"Come Morgan, we have a wedding to prepare for." As they left the throne room Lithia spared one last glance at the pond. She was sure he wouldn't succeed in his mission and when she won, his kingdom would be hers. A desert kingdom surrounded by an impossible labyrinth would be a nice change, to this cold mound of ice she ruled now. Morgan could have it. The elevation and harsh terrain would keep her safe from attack. Yes, Lithia was sure that Jareth would fail, but there was no harm in stacking the deck in her favor a little.

As the pair exited they didn't see or chose not to notice the boy standing in the door. He watched them through his silver, mirror-like eyes. Shaking his ink black hair out of his eyes, he turned to watch his mother and his sister make their way down the long hallway. He wrinkled his nose. He pitied the man, Jareth. His mother could be a cruel woman. Alexander knew that the deal she had made with the king of the goblins had nothing to do with love and everything to do with greed and her unquenchable need for power. There was nothing Alexander would gain by his mother winning. He did not factor into her grand plan. Even as she came closer to winning the goblin kingdom, Alexander knew that her hungry eyes were already turning to the jungle kingdom that lay to the south. Soon she would have them all. He hoped that Jareth was craftier than she gave him credit for. He knew it couldn't hurt to stack the deck in Jareth's favor a little. Turning to head back to his room, he began to prepare himself for the necessary journey into the world of the mortals.

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Jareth walked into the bookstore and looked around he smiled as he spotted his target and made his way up to the front desk where Sarah sat pouring over her Advanced Writing assignment. He stood at the desk for a moment watching her before clearing his throat. Sarah looked up quickly. "I'm sorry, I didn't realize anyone was here. Can I help you?"

He chuckled softly. "I hope so," he answered. "I need a leading lady for the play I'm working on, and I think that you'd be perfect."

"I… I'm very busy with school right now. I don't really have time."

"You haven't even heard the story yet. At least wait until I tell you what it's about before you turn me down." Sarah looked at him warily, but nodded for him to proceed. Jareth made a quick check that he wasn't breaking any rules. According to the deal he had made with Lithia, he was not allowed to directly tell the human girl of their deal. But if he told her and it was not presented as fact…if Sarah happened to guess what it was about, that was alright. "A long time ago, in a kingdom far away, the king fell in love. The girl was cruel and did not return his affections. Devastated, the king locked himself away in the castle. The girl had been his last chance at breaking a contract made over half a century ago. As the king slept the time to complete his end of the deal ran short. His enemies began moving in, and it became clear that the king had to act. He ventured out once more and sought out the girl who had broken his heart. He was charming and the girl's resolve was weakening. In the end, the girl fell in love with the king and returned with him as his queen. The enemies were forced to retreat." For a moment Sarah looked at him. Whatever made him the slightest bit familiar to her was enhanced until she could almost recall where she had met him. The moment passed and whatever Sarah had been remembering slipped back into the dark recesses of her memory.

"And you want me to be the cruel girl." He smiled. _You have already played that part Sarah, I need you to be the one who saves my kingdom now._

"Yes. I think you would be perfect. Maybe, we could discuss this over dinner or something." Sarah was taken aback.

"Are you asking me on a date?"

"Sarah, I'm just asking you to be in a play. If I get a date out of it, it's really a bonus."

"I don't know, I'm awfully busy right now and-…"

"You have to eat don't you?"

"I do have to eat."

"What harm would one dinner do?"

"I guess it wouldn't do any particular harm, as long as it's just business," she added hastily. He smiled.

"Of course, just business. Shall I pick you up at 7 then?"

"Seven would be fine. I get off at 6:30 tonight. I'll just wait for you."

"Very good." He turned to walk away.

"Wait. Do you have a copy of the script or something?" Actresses.

"It's still being worked out, but I will have shortly. Provided you agree to work with me. I can't have my work being leaked to just anyone." Sarah nodded. "I'll see you tonight Sarah." With that Jareth exited the shop. As soon as he was gone, Sarah laid her head down on the desk. What was she doing? He was at least 10 years older than her she was sure. There couldn't seriously be anything between them. _It's business,_ she reminded herself firmly. There was something slightly off-putting about the man, but for the life of her, Sarah could not remember what it was.

From their place behind the English Literature section, violet eyes watched Jareth's departure. Lithia scowled. A date, he had made a date with the horrid creature. An evil smile tugged at the corners of her mouth. She would just have to make sure Sarah knew her place in all this. Gathering herself up, she quietly exited the back of the shop and began moving on with the first part of her plan.

A/N: There it is. I hope you enjoy. I'll hopefully be writing more of it soon.


	4. Chapter 4

Here is another chapter of my Labyrinth story. Enjoy!

A Little Finesse

Chapter 4

Dark purple fingernails tapped on the counter, intruding Sarah's concentration. She looked up from her text book into sparkling Violet eyes. "Can I help you?" she asked the woman.

"I'm looking for my husband."

"I…what does he look like?" Sarah stammered.

"He's blond, about 6'1", very skinny, sexy accent… I came looking for him and I thought I saw him leaving here earlier. I called to him, but he must not have heard me."

Sarah shook her head. "What's his name?"

"Jareth," the woman seemed amused. Sarah's jaw dropped.

"He's your husband? He didn't mention being married."

"No, I don't imagine he would. I love him to death, but he's not exactly trustworthy." The woman looked up at Sarah sadly from underneath her long eyelashes.

"I'm sorry. He was in here, he asked me to dinner. I didn't know he had a wife." The woman smiled.

"No matter, no harm done. You know that he has a wife now." Something about the way she looked at Sarah screamed danger even though the woman was smiling sweetly.

"I'm not sure where he went," Sarah whispered.

"I'm sure I'll find him." The woman patted Sarah's hand. _You'll stay away from him if you know what's good for you. _Sarah was sure she had heard the woman speak, but her lips hadn't moved. The woman's hand tightened around Sarah's and Sarah looked into her eyes, suddenly terrified. _Look over there, _she heard the woman's voice. _There's a perfectly good boy_. Images of Sarah's co-worker, William filled her mind and suddenly Sarah found that he was all she wanted. "You have a good day, Sarah," the woman said as she turned and exited. Sarah stared after her, bewildered by what had just happened. Her eyes wandered over to where William was stocking shelves. Almost of their own accord her feet moved in his direction.

"William." Slowly he turned to face her.

"Sarah?"

"I've been thinking about what you said earlier. I do have to eat and I would love to go eat with you."

"Re-really?"

"Yes. Is tonight okay with you?"

"Tonight's fine," William said in amazement.

"Very good. We're slow. I'm going to cut out early so I can get ready."

William nodded. "Yeah, you go ahead. I got this." He was almost skipping as he made his way back up to the front counter. Sarah watched him go and smiled. How had she missed him? She had been working with him for close to a year and a half and it was like she was looking right through him. Sarah made her way back up to the front desk to gather her purse before saying goodbye to William and heading home.

Alexander closed his eyes and let his mind drift. This was really easier if he had time to get to know the person he was trying to find, but he didn't have that luxury right now. He brought the only image of Sarah he had to his mind. It was a fleeting picture he had caught in his mother's pond one time. She spent most of her time spying on Jareth. As Alexander studied Sarah's face in his mind, the image shifted to one of a house in a nice suburban neighborhood. Slowly Alexander's form began to fade. He reappeared in front of the house. Alexander took a deep breath. All of the times he had traveled that way and he still hadn't gotten used to the way it felt. He made his way up the porch and knocked on the door.

Sarah looked up from her vanity. The knock was so soft she almost decided she imagined it. She looked over at her clock. It was too early for William. She turned back to look in the mirror. She heard the soft knock again. "Coming!" she shouted. She got up and ran down the stairs. Opening the door, she looked out and saw no one. Below her someone cleared their throat. She looked down and found a small boy standing there. He had jet black hair and the most peculiar silver eyes. He couldn't be too much older than Toby. Her brows furrowed in confusion. "Hello?"

"Hello," the boy said softly. He had a musical kind of voice that instantly put Sarah's mind at ease. His eyes shifted to look over Sarah's shoulder where a picture of Toby hung on the wall. The name sprang to his mind. "I'm looking for Toby."

"Are you a friend of his?" The boy nodded. "Um, I think he's in his room. Come on in. I'll go get him." The boy stepped into the front room and Sarah turned to head upstairs. She turned. "Do your parents know you're here?" The boy nodded. _My parents don't mind. I'm perfectly fine._ Sarah shook her head. "Of course it's okay," she said.

"Sarah," the boy said suddenly, "do you like fairy tales?" Puzzled, Sarah turned around. She hadn't told him her name. Sarah shook her head to clear it.

"I um…I used to when I was younger."

The boy cocked his head. "Have you ever heard the one about the Goblin King?" The boy caught Sarah's eyes and she found herself suddenly mesmerized. Toby forgotten, Sarah sat down on the stairs.

"That sounds familiar."

"His story is an old one." Hazy figures swirled in front of Sarah's face. "Hundreds of years ago there was a king. He was a magnificent ruler of two kingdoms; an icy kingdom set on a mountain, and a cruel desert kingdom. To his oldest son, the king gave the ice kingdom. The kingdom fit the prince who was cold and ill tempered. The desert kingdom was given to the king's youngest son, Jareth." A picture of Jareth swirled in front of Sarah's face. She was startled to see the face of the new professor. He looked wilder, his hair standing out at all angles. "The desert kingdom," the boy continued "was home to the Goblins. The prince's patient nature lent itself to ruling the slow, stupid inhabitants." _Patient nature_, Sarah scoffed. He had never struck her as particularly patient. What was she thinking? She had never met this man. He was fictional. He didn't exist. "The Goblin Kingdom, as it came to be known, was so close to the land of mortals that for a time they coexisted in harmony. Over the years the king became aware of the mortal's greed. He wearied of it and closed his kingdom off. He built a Labyrinth around the kingdom so that the mortals could not easily find him. For centuries he lived in this kind of isolation. One day a voice cried out to him and there was something to that voice that pulled him. He ventured into the mortal world, leaving his safe enclosure. There, he found a girl. She was a plain girl, but her spirit endeared her to him. It wasn't long before he fell in love with the girl…"

Suddenly past events crashed down on Sarah like a ton of bricks. Things that she had tried so hard to forget about came back to her. The man, the theater professor, it was him. He was the Goblin King. He had somehow found her. Sarah began to panic. She looked around. The boy had disappeared. Sarah stood and walked around, looking for him. The sudden knock on the door made her jump. She pulled the door open and screamed. Standing in front of her was the Goblin King himself. He looked at her in confusion. "Sarah, what's the matter with you?" She opened her mouth to respond, but was stopped by a crash from upstairs. Jareth reached out and grabbed her, pulling her to the safety of his side. "Lithia," he growled. Sarah looked at him in confusion.

"Sarah!" Toby cried out.

"Toby!" Sarah started up the stairs with Jareth at her heels. She threw open the door and fell to her knees. The curtains billowed in the breeze coming through the open window and Toby was nowhere to be seen.

"She's taken him," Jareth observed.

"Where?" Sarah whimpered. She couldn't believe this had happened again. Jareth shrugged.

"Back to her kingdom I assume." Sarah set her jaw in determination.

"Take me there. I have to get him back." All thoughts of her date with William were replaced by a need to once again find and save her little brother even if it meant trusting the man who had tormented her all those years ago.

A/N: There's the next chapter. I hope that you enjoy. Sorry it's taking so long. I have four or so other stories going that I'm trying to update as well. I'm trying to take turns with my stories. I'll try to update soon. I appreciate all of your reviews. Thank you for reading.


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